


Starting with a Smile

by Rachel_Lu



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, College, Confessions, F/M, First Kiss, First Meetings, Flirting, Jack Harkness Flirts, Love Confessions, One Shot, Partying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 16:33:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11740902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel_Lu/pseuds/Rachel_Lu
Summary: There is a boy that smiles at Rose every time she passes him, and more than anything, she just wants to know what his deal is.





	Starting with a Smile

**Author's Note:**

> written for @doctorroseprompts "I see you on campus everywhere and I don't know who you are, but you always wave and I love your smile" and also the college party trope bc why not.

She didn’t know him. That much she knew.

But most of the time, he sure acted like he knew her.

He waved and smiled at her the first few days she was on campus, when she was moving into her dorm.  She would always furrow her brows and wave back at him, even though she had no idea who he was.  The fact that he would grin to himself after she waved only reinstated the fact that maybe they had met before.  Sh never asked, because she was a little embarrassed if she knew him and didn’t remember him. How was that even possible, really?  She was good with names and faces for the most part, so how could she forget a tall, attractive man with a lovely smile and great hair.  

_ God  _ he had a lovely smile.  Lovely everything, really.  She wanted to get to know him, but she didn’t really know how to start anything.

Two days before the first day of class, he waved and smiled at her again, like they were old friends, and she waved and smiled back, like she always did, to be polite.  He passed right on by, hands in his pockets and looking very cheerful about life, or at least the fact that she had been nice to him.  She almost wanted to stop him, and ask him what his deal was, and what he wanted with her, but as it stood, there was no way for her to casually strike up a conversation with him about it.  She was certain that she would probably hurt his feelings if she didn’t remember him, and he really didn’t want to hurt his feelings.  He seemed dreadfully sweet. 

He definitely had friends.  She wasn’t the only person that he interacted with.  She saw him talking to Jack Harkness, who she already knew was the resident player on campus.  He smiled and flirted and winked at every person on campus and Rose was not sure how he was friends with innocent smile-and-wave guy.  He was also friends with Donna Noble, a loud senior with a cheerful, if brash, disposition.  She’d seen him with them both, and yet he still smiled and waved at her no matter who he was with.  She understood his friends, though, got them.  

But smile and wave guy was something that she didn’t understand, and maybe she wanted to.  He was most intriguing, after all, if nothing else.

The day before classes started, she smiled and waved at him first. He looked like he might explode with happiness, and seemed to get a burst of excitement as he came up next to her.  “Hello,” he said happily, walking her way now instead of the way he was originally going.

“Hello,” Rose said, “Pardon me, but do we know each other?” she asked, trying not to be offensive, asking the question.

“Nope,” The man said, popping the ‘p’.  “I was just waiting for you to say hello to me first.”

“I-” Rose narrowed her eyes at him, “Why?”

“Because you seem very nice,” the man said, “After all, you waved and smiled at me when you didn’t know who I was, and that’s not something that a lot of people do.”

“Loads of people do that.”

He sighed, exasperated. ‘Not in my experience,” he said. “And i’ve been getting up the courage to talk to you.” 

“What for?”

“There’s a party that Jack’s throwing, this Saturday, to celebrate the first week of classes being over.  I was wondering if you’d like to go.”

Rose stopped walking and turned to face him. “So you’ve been coming up to me, smiling and waving, for over a week, just so you could ask me to go to a party?”  
Suddenly embarrassed, the man kicked at the pavement outside the library with the toe of his Converse. “Yeah, um- yeah, I suppose when you say that it does sound a little foolish.  Sorry.”

“Well, wait.” she held out her hand.  “What’s your name, at least?”

“John,” he said, sounding a bit meek. “John Smith.”

“And where is this party that Jack is having?” Rose asked.  

“It’s at the house he stays at with a load of his mates.  He wanted me to come and I really hate parties, but he said that I could invite someone.”

“And you don’t want to invite any of your friends?”

“No, I want to invite you.”

“But you don’t even know my name,” Rose protested, pointing at him. “I could be a crazy person for all you know.”

He smiled. “Somehow, I don’t think you are.”  
“Okay, then,” She said, “I’ll go with you.  Okay?” 

“Really?” He perked up a bit, and immediately calmed himself down and ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to look cool.  “Yeah, so can I pick you up from your dorm?”

She grinned a little. “Sure, but you should probably get my phone number so that you know I’m not a psycho murderer.”

He nodded furiously, and pulled out his mobile.  He handed it to her and she typed her number into it, aware of the man nearly vibrating with excitement next to her.  She handed his mobile back.  “Give me a call, ‘John Smith’, yeah?” 

“Yeah!” he said, grinning now.  “Yeah, of course. Thanks.  Wait, what’s your name?”

“Rose Tyler,” She told him.  “See you later.”

**********

They spoke a few times after that, and Rose learned that John Smith was kind and gentle and certainly not a serial killer.  And it was very obvious to her that he liked her very much.  He asked her loads of things about herself, like her favorite book and class, what her major was, things of that nature. 

The conversations were nice and friendly and finally the day of the party arrived. 

Rose’s roommate, Martha, was going to stay in, studying.  She shook her head at Rose.  “I really can’t believe we’re a week into school and you already have a date,” she said, bending over her desk.

“I didn’t mean to, but Martha, he’s positively adorable and he’s coming to pick me up.”

“He’s coming to pick you up?”

She nodded.

“Blimey. He’s a weird one.”  
Rose laughed. “Nah, you’re just jealous.”

Martha laughed a little. “Maybe so, Rose, just make sure you’re safe, alright?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Rose saluted her friend.

There was a knock at her door then, and Rose opened the door to see John standing there with his hands in his pockets.  He had a suit on, which was a bit odd for a party, but he had trainers on, so Rose suspected that he thought he was evening it out by doing that.

“Hello,” she told him, “You look brilliant.”

“Thank you, so do you,” he said, and held his hand out for her, “Shall we?”

Rose nodded. “Bye, Martha,” She called over her shoulder before taking John’s hand and letting him lead her from the dorms. 

The party was loud, and Rose really didn’t know anyone there, so she stuck next to John.  

“So, you really just smiled and waved to get me to come to this party with you?” She all but shouted over the music.

John smiled, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Um, that, and, well, Rose, you’re very lovely,” he said, “And I didn’t know how to tell you I thought so.”

She beamed.  “I think you just did, John.”

“Oh, I have? Brilliant, now you’ll want to go home,” he smacked his hand to his forehead. “I’ve ruined it all, haven’t I?”

“I was going to ask you to dance,” she said, smiling when his jaw dropped.

“Really?” he asked, meeting her eyes. “But the dancing here isn’t exactly of the ballroom variety.”

She chuckled and shook her head. “I know,” she said, “If I want to ballroom dance with you, I’ll take you somewhere else.  Right now, I just want to dance with you, alright?  The way they dance here.”

“I’m very bad,” John said.

“Okay,” She said, holding her hands out for his. “Come on,” she encouraged.  He stood up and took her hands and tugged her close against him, leading her to where everybody was dancing.  There wasn’t a lot of space, as people were dancing very, very close together. 

Rose could tell that John was a bit of a novice at this and decided to help him out a bit. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged him against her.  She wasn’t sure what it was about this man that she trusted so much, but she did.  She knew deep down that he wouldn’t hurt her. She pulled his head down to hers.  “So what was it, did you just think I was attractive?”

His hands settled on her hips as she started to move and she felt his breath puffing against her ear as he replied. “No, you’re beautiful, yes, but your kindness just- it radiates off of you, you are so  _ bright,  _ there’s something in you I’ve never seen before.”

“Right answer,” she told him.

“I wasn’t trying to be right,” he replied, growing a bit more bold and wrapping an arm all the way around her. “I’ve loved talking to you on the phone, getting to know you. I want-”

“What?” 

He sighed. “You might be more of a minx then I thought,” he admitted. 

“Perhaps,” She agreed, getting even closer to him. “Though, you should probably kiss me by now.”

“Right!” He pulled back from her ear and kissed her, softly at first, and then going a bit deeper.  She kissed him right back, giving as good as she got. 

“Knew you were a good kisser, with the way you smiled,” Rose said breathlessly when she pulled back.

He preened a little. “You like my smile?”

“I love your smile.”

Jack gave John a thumbs up from across the room.


End file.
